Known shave ice devices are typically operated by an owner/facility operator specially trained to operate the shave ice device. To operate a conventional shave ice device, the owner/facility operator must first remove a block of ice from a freezer. Next, the owner/facility operator directly mounts the ice by hand onto a supporting structure within the device. The owner/facility operator then operates the device which rotates the block of ice along a cutting element. As the ice block rotates around the cutting element, the shaved ice drops onto a receiving plate. The owner/facility operator typically has to rotate the plate and/or readjust the position of the ice block to provide a proper distribution of shaved ice. During shaving, in the conventional devices, the compartment containing the ice block is open to allow the operator to manipulate the ice block. Thus, during shaving, some of the ice may be expelled outwardly toward the owner/facility operator in addition to downwardly onto the receiving plate. After shaving the ice, the owner/facility operator manually returns the ice back into the freezer. The owner/facility operator adds flavoring to the shaved ice as requested by the customer, then gives the customer the flavored shave ice product. The owner/facility operator repeats the above steps every time a customer orders a shave ice, including mounting and returning the ice block to the freezer.
The above operation has several drawbacks. First, it requires a specially trained operator to provide a customer with the shave ice product. Second, because the ice block is handled by the operator every time a shave ice is ordered, there is substantial risk of contamination. Third, because of the open ice block compartment, ice debris can easily spray onto the surrounding area during shaving. Fourth, moving the ice back and forth between the device and the freezer is inefficient. The ice block shaves the best at about −20 degrees Celsius. Thus, as soon as the ice is removed from the freezer into the ambient room temperature to be mounted onto the ice shaver, the quality of the shaved ice starts to deteriorate. This problem is magnified by high volume businesses where the operator must move the ice block between the freezer and device many times through the day. Thus, the process of removing the ice block from the freezer and mounting it onto the device can be time consuming, labor intensive, and unsanitary.
Furthermore, the conventional device and operation method causes a problem in customer satisfaction. Consumers are well aware of cleanliness in food preparation. When a customer observers the operator repeatedly handling the same ice block multiple times before being served, the customer may no longer want to ingest the product. Accordingly, the conventional device and method may often lead to loss of potential customers.
For the above reasons, there is a need in the art for a customer-operable/self-service shave ice device that avoids the above-described disadvantages.